In response to the article "Americans prefer comprehensive sex education" on Nov. 28, I would like to address a common misconception. The article reported that Todd Taylor, chairman of the College Republicans, said that some political parties were trying to do away with abstinence education, which, he also stated, is the only way to prevent pregnancies or STI (sexually transmitted infections) transmission.

Eliot Schmidt, spokesman of the College Democrats, stated that abstinence education was not practical in today's culture. The misconception implied is that comprehensive sexual education (CSE) does not propose abstinence as an option for today's youth. That is simply untrue. CSE presents abstinence as the only option for complete prevention of unintended pregnancy and STI transmission. However, CSE also provides information on birth control, condoms and other important issues, which has been proven to reduce unintended pregnancies and rates of STI transmission without encouraging early sexual behaviors. When youth are not provided with this information, however, they resort to behaviors such as unprotected oral sex, considered a "safe" behavior by many youth because it does not result in pregnancy.

Many youth are therefore unknowingly putting themselves at risk for STIs. The problem continues: as youth grow older and become sexually active, they are not prepared for sexual situations. Even if a youth decides to remain abstinent until marriage, they will, at some point, need information that they should have been provided in a CSE curriculum. Thus, CSE programs serve individuals throughout their lives, providing options for anyone's level of sexual activity.